The State of Things (album)

The State of Things
Studio album by
Reverend and the Makers
Released17 September 2007
Recorded2006–2007, Sheffield, England
GenreAlternative rock, electronic
Length41:43
LabelWall of Sound
Reverend and the Makers chronology
The State of Things
(2007) 		A French Kiss in the Chaos
(2009)
Singles from The State of Things
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic link
Drowned in Sound4/10 link
The Guardian link
stv.tv link
Uncut link
NME5/10

The State of Things is the debut studio album by English alternative rock band Reverend and The Makers. It reached number 5 in the UK Albums Chart, selling just over 25,000 copies in its first week.[1]

Critical reception

The album received positive reviews, with Uncut saying "the record is a tribute to McClure's charisma and unswerving self-belief".[2] The first single, "Heavyweight Champion of the World", reached the top ten and was played on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. Other songs on the album, notably "He Said He Loved Me" and "The Machine" become fan favourites and were played in their concerts, including the band's three night run at Wembley Stadium supporting Oasis.

The album includes seven songs that were previously released as free downloads, in a collection of demos entitled Ten Songs produced by Alan Smyth.

The single "Open Your Window" was featured on the soundtrack to the football video game FIFA 09.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jon McClure, co-writers noted

No.TitleAdditional musiciansLength
1."The State of Things" (Hampton) 3:01
2."The Machine" (Turner)Vocals – Alex Turner3:50
3."Heavyweight Champion of the World" (Cosens/Smyth)Congas – Bert 'Bongo Bert' Rogers3:25
4."Bandits" (Rowley/Smith)Vocals – Tim Hampton and James O'Hara2:37
5."Open Your Window" (Cosens/Smyth)Vocals – Steve Edwards; Guitar – Alan Smyth4:03
6."Sex with the Ex" 4:07
7."18-30" (Cosens) 3:15
8."He Said He Loved Me" (Turner/Smyth)Chewing – Alan Smyth; Guitar – Alex Turner; Co-lead Vocals – Laura Manuel2:54
9."What the Milkman Saw" (Cosens/Smyth) 2:56
10."Sundown on the Empire" (Cosens)Recorder – Tia Coakley4:00
11."Miss Brown" (Rowley)Vocals – Steve Edwards3:27
12."Armchair Detective" (Turner/Smyth)Vocals – Mike Hughes
Violin – Stephen Rocheford		4:13

Charts

Chart performance for The State of Things
Chart (2007) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[3] 8
UK Albums (OCC)[4] 5

Certifications

Certifications for The State of Things
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[5] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Music forums focusing on chart music with chart and entertainment discussion". Buzzjack.[unreliable source?] [dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Music Reviews". Uncut. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2012.
  3. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  5. ^ "British album certifications – Reverend & The Makers – The State of Things". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 19 April 2022.